Our Computing Curriculum

Intent

Our whole-school curriculum drivers that we promote across all subjects are: ready, relevant, progressive, ambitious, independent, inclusive and resilient.

So…how does this look in computing?

Ambitious	Through exposure to the computing curriculum, and our computing careers links, we encourage children to become aware of how important computing skills are to the real world. Children become familiar with computing careers, and aspire to gain skills to support them in possible future roles.
Progressive	Computing skills are built on year-upon-year. Children make progress in computing from their starting point and can clearly see their own progression in their learning. Children are taught skills which support them across all units and ensure they are secondary-ready by Y6.
Independent	Children are supported to independently problem solve in computing. All children feel comfortable within computing to make mistakes, and explore how best to fix them. They will work in a range of contexts throughout the units, and have the independence to complete the tasks they are set. Children can and will work with others, but do not become reliant upon them.
Inclusive	We have high aspirations for all. Children BELIEVE, ACHIEVE and SUCCEED in computing. Everyone CAN do computing – we do not put a limit on learning. Equality for all children, with a curriculum which supports all. Having a safe and inclusive environment promotes sharing and celebrating our own and other’s work.
Relevant	Through this ever-changing world, computing at Front Street is meaningful, purposeful and all around us. Children develop skills in computing to equip them in the technology driven world we live in. The computing skills we teach are relevant to real-life opportunities, and are linked to our every day lives. We ensure all children have a good knowledge of online safety and dangers. Keeping children safe is at the heart of our computing curriculum.
Resilience	All of our children have a growth mindset in computing, and believe in their abilities. Children can and will achieve and succeed in computing, through encouragement to problem solve and to not give up. Children understand that new learning can sometimes seem testing, however our children are always willing to have a go.
Ready	All children are taught age-related content. Through the use of the Teach Computing Curriculum, the computing skills are coherent and progressive. Children master their own year-group content and are ready to build upon their knowledge the following year.

Implementation

At Front Street Primary School we follow the Teach Computing curriculum (under pinned by the National Curriculum) from Y1 up to Y6. The Teach Computing curriculum is divided into the following units:

• Autumn 1 – Systems and Networks
• Autumn 2 – Creating Media
• Spring 1 – Programming A
• Spring 2 – Data and Information
• Summer 1 – Creating Media
• Summer 2 – Programming B

These units are taught and revisited in every year group across the year. Content is progressive in order to build upon the children’s previous learning, prior knowledge and skill set. Online-Safety is interwoven throughout the academic year, with different topics covered every half term (see coverage below). It is also incorporated into the wider curriculum such as English and PSHE. Please see the Front Street Computing Curriculum Map, and the Teach Computing Journey (KS1-4) to see how these units are taught throughout school. Assessment is ongoing and children are assessed at the end of each unit against the lesson objectives. Any barriers to learning are established prior to the lesson, and any children who do not meet the learning objectives are supported so their skills are secured and built upon in future lessons.

To ensure children are able to see why and how computing skills are relevant to the real world, each year group has a career focus which they will learn about in order to enhance their knowledge and understanding of possible computing careers. The list of careers can be seen on our computing subject overview .

In EYFS, skills are taught to ensure that children are ready to start the computing curriculum in Year 1. This is through a continuous and enhanced provision which can be accessed during the children’s explorative play. The children have access to lots of computing resources, such as iPads, microphones, Beebots etc, where they are encouraged to investigate, problem solve, explore and evaluate.

Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

Our firm belief is that all children can and will succeed in computing.  Our curriculum is fully inclusive and supports ranging needs and cultural diversity. We adapt the curriculum content and resources appropriately, to enable all children to access our computing curriculum. The Teach Computing curriculum is inclusive: we have high aspirations for all, including children with SEND. ALL pupils, from Nursery to Y6, will be supported to access age-appropriate content within the computing curriculum – this could be through support in lessons, the use of resources and clear step by step modelling. Children with EHCPs and learning plans are supported in computing to suit their personal needs, and barriers are anticipated and considered, so planning and teaching can be adapted sufficiently . The aim in computing is to scaffold ALL pupils (including those identified with SEND) towards independence, not dependence. We work in compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 to ensure our curriculum is accessible for pupils with SEND.

At Front Street, children with communication and interaction needs benefit from the familiarity of revisiting and building upon the computing units each year. They become equipped with a bank of suitable vocabulary and are able to understand the expectations of the units. Children are also given time to work independently and with their peers, to support positive working relationships. A safe space is established in the computing suite to support all children, including those with SEMH and sensory needs, in order for them to feel comfortable in the working environment. A positive workspace is fostered, where children can feel confident and comfortable to learn alongside their peers. As the Teach Computing Curriculum has a focus of know more and remember more, children with cognition and learning needs do not feel overloaded by their learning. Children are given time to process information, and acquire a growth mindset when working with technology, without the pressure of making permanent mistakes.

Digital Leaders

At Front Street, we have a group of year 6 children who are our Digital Leaders. They support computing across the school, by getting involved with delivering online safety sessions to the younger year groups, putting together relevant online information for children and parents, delivering whole school computing assemblies and supporting the Computing Lead with pupil voice. The children attend a weekly meeting and are proud of the role that they hold in school.

If you have any further questions, related to Computing, here at Front Street, please contact the school office who will be happy to help.

Computing Documents

Documents – Computing

Computing Documents	Download
Computing National Curriculum	Download
Computing Subject Overview	Download
COMPUTING CURRICULUM MAP 3	Download
Online Safety Overview	Download
SAFE USE OF INTERNET 2022	Download
Teach Computing Curriculum Journey	Download
Whole School Online Safety Coverage	Download

Computing Policies

Computing Policies & Documents	Download
E Safety	Download
Mobile Phone Policy	Download